i saw i have a bad idea to win against you last time : i pay for that this time

Correct, I was quite motivated this time

But I didn't see RFAD playing badly, I was probably just more lucky than ever before

1st game: I start with Cal-Pho + Dul-Hou and get an easy win vs SSM-Nash + NY-Atl - no chance for RFAD at all.

2nd game: holding Port-Nash + SF-Atl and getting great colors + locos, I don't need to bother with longest, just disturbing RFAD with 5 yellow and getting good points on the board was enough vs Cal-Pho + Winni-Hou. Maybe RFAD could have played 6 grey earlier, but I think I would still have won.

3rd game: starting with Dul-Hou + Van-Mon vs Sea-LA + Den-Elp I got an average route in the north, RFAD holding the wrong colors and so couldn't fulfill a ticket and even his more than 100 points on the board wouldn't help him.

4th game: holding LA-Miami + Cal-Pho, I watched RFAD taking open reds and playing 6 pink. Eastern ticks seemed to be obvious so I started with 6 reds (RFAD playing 5 blue) and 2 grey (Hou-NO), holding 6 green and 3 black. As I hoped, RFAD did let me play 6 green, then "blocked" with 6 blacks which I didn't want. Then he continued blocking me, but I was save beeing able to play 4 more reds (Den-Okl) with locos. After that I didn't have the material for Cal, but a fast finish gave me a clear win.

5th game: starting with Port-Nash + Mon-Atl, I got quite a good route over SLC and Cal. RFAD got a good route in the West. Alas, I miscalculated to get a 40 route from Port to Atl with 2 blue and 2 locos left, but no time to take a 5th blue for a 45 route. Earlier in the game I should have planned to get Atl-NO with orange in the last round, but I recognized it too late.
Luckily, RFAD had to play to Santa outside of his route, so I could play 2 from Atl to tie for longest. But even so, I only won because RFAD's 2nd ticket was Den-ElP, every other would have given him the win.

6th game: feeling very very lucky already, now I got Van-Mon + Sea-NY together with 6 locos. RFAD disturbed me well in the north, and with less locos I could have lost by far, but as flexible as I was there was no chance for him to beat me.

7th game: I got my 4th start and the difficult ticket combination Port-Nash (dropped), Mon-Atl and Bos-Mia. At about 36 cards I took a 4th yellow openly, RFAD answering with 6 black. Hoping that he had a big ticket, I played 5 blue, RFAD 6 red with 2 locos. I 3 green, he 2 grey, I 6 green (lucky again!) blocking him thoroughly. He then connected Tor-Mia, I duly fulfilled my tickets for the clean sweep

Probably, I had more locos than RFAD in all 7 games, allowing me a couple of (winning) plays I couldn't have played otherwise.

Hard games for me. I did not feel lucky in tickets, colours or locos in any game except for one ( la-he and du-ep !?! maybe not a great ticket combination but there are a lot of worse ones ).

In the 7 games, I think the one who took longest won the game.

We arrived 3-3 to the last game, where I managed to connect my 2 tickets (Port-Nash+Den-Pitt) in a pretty good route that gave me longest but in the last turn, Jerôme had 3 cards left and a route with Se-NY+La-NY that seemed highly probable to be his tickets, with a 3 anywhere from him i was lost but I was lucky he had 3 different colors in hand!

Thanks for the games Jerôme. I enjoyed them a lot and see you for a new revenge next season!